Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Research: Finance

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU, what assessment they have made of the impact on funding for scientific and medical research at UK universities, and what plans they have to address any such impact.

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU, what plans they have to make up any shortfall in funding for scientific and medical research.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government intends to maintain and enhance the strength of our research and innovation base This is why we have protected the science resource budget in real terms from its 2015/16 level of £4.7 billion for the rest of the parliament. While the UK remains a member of the EU, current EU funding arrangements continue unchanged, including those that apply to students, researchers, and businesses. We remain fully open to scientists and researchers from across the EU. We hugely value the contribution of EU and international staff and there are no immediate changes to their rights to live and work in the UK.

Recall of Unsafe Products Review

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 4 July (HL751), whether they plan to publish (1) the terms of reference, and (2) the minutes, of the steering group set up as a result of their response to the independent review by Lynn Faulds Wood.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Recall Review Steering Group is led by Industry and its work is supported by officials from my department. It is for the Group to consider whether they wish to publish material relating to its meetings.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Zakir Naik

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government following the decision to ban Zakir Naik from visiting the UK what discussions they have had with other governments about the nature and content of the broadcasts for which he is reportedly responsible and his ability to travel to their jurisdictions.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Since the decision to exclude Zakir Naik from the UK, the British Government has had no discussions with other governments about the nature and content of his broadcasts, nor his ability to travel to their jurisdictions.

Crimes against Humanity

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to table a resolution for discussion at the UN Security Council drawing attention to the failure of member states to assist the International Criminal Court in bringing to justice those indicted for war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has an established procedure for dealing with instances of non-cooperation and reports regularly to the UN Security Council on this matter. We continue to follow closely developments in the ICC, including the level of States’ cooperation with the Court, and will consider further measures as appropriate.

South Sudan: Armed Conflict

Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the government of Sudan's attitude and approach towards the conflict in South Sudan, and whether it will contribute to peace and stability in South Sudan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government of Sudan played a constructive role in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development peace process in South Sudan and the recent meeting of regional Foreign Ministers on 11 July in Nairobi. We are working closely with all regional countries to end the violence in South Sudan.

Sudan: Foreign Relations

Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the visit by the US’s Special Envoy for Sudan, Donald Booth, to Sudan in June, and of any lessons that could be learnt from that visit for UK–Sudan relations.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK continues to work closely with its Troika partners the US and Norway. The visit by the US’s Special Envoy to Sudan underlines the benefits of the ongoing strategic dialogue between the UK and the Government of Sudan, which allows us to raise issues of concern directly with the Government of Sudan.

Sudan: Radicalism

Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the efforts by the government of Sudan to prevent the influence in Sudan of groups such as Daesh, Boko Haram, and Al Shabaab.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Sudan has an important role in tackling the threat of the various extremist groups that operate in region. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Africa Director discussed countering extremism with the Government of Sudan during his visit to Khartoum in March, and we are encouraging them to play a constructive role.

Sudan: Foreign Relations

Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to promote stronger educational and cultural links between the UK and Sudan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Council already has a number of projects in Sudan which aim to strengthen cultural and educational relations. They have over 200 partner schools, engage with over 250,000 people in a national English teacher training programme and have provided English language training to 500 leading journalists. Sudan has also been added as a priority country for the British Council’s new £30m Cultural Protection Fund, and the British Council office in Khartoum is in discussion with a range of partners to develop proposals. Our Embassy in Khartoum also oversees the Chevening scholarship programme for highly talented Sudanese with leadership potential to pursue masters degrees in the UK.

Bahrain: Politics and Government

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the recent actions of the government of Bahrain towards the main Shia opposition group; what is their assessment of the state of human rights in that country; and whether the development of a new Royal Naval base in Bahrain is progressing.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson), issued a statement on 17 July expressing concerns about the Bahraini High Administrative Court’s decision to dissolve the main Bahraini Shia opposition political society Al Wefaq. We continue to follow the case closely. We have urged the Government of Bahrain to protect political freedoms and representation for all Bahraini citizens and to encourage all sides to engage in constructive and inclusive dialogue to promote social cohesion and inclusivity.We regularly discuss human rights and reform with the Government of Bahrain and it is a standing agenda item for the biannual UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group meeting, held most recently in June 2016. The former Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), also raised concerns about recent developments with the Bahraini Foreign Minister on 14 June, and during his visit to Bahrain on 30 May.We have begun work on the future UK maritime hub at Mina Salman in Bahrain, HMS Juffair, to support Royal Navy deployments. We continue to maintain a naval presence which includes mine countermeasure ships, frigates, destroyers and maritime helicopters to contribute to the stability of the region and to make sure vital sea lanes remain open in the region.

Pakistan: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last raised with the government of Pakistan the issues of (1) the honour killing of women, (2) the exclusion of minority communities from full citizenship, and (3) the imprisonment of citizens under the blasphemy laws; and what response they received.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain concerned by ongoing reports of so-called honour killings, the persecution of minority communities and the misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan. We regularly raise human rights with the Government of Pakistan. The former Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), pressed Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all its citizens during his visit to Islamabad in March. He also attended an event to stimulate debate about honour killings. It is encouraging that Pakistan has enacted laws to protect religious minorities. We urge Pakistan to implement this legislation, uphold the rule of law and ensure the rights of all citizens are respected regardless of gender, ethnicity or religious belief.

Iraq: Internally Displaced People

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to stop the further displacement of civilians in Iraq, particularly in Mosul, due to continued military action by coalition forces there.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK is working with the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, the UN and international partners to ensure that all Coalition-supported military operations against Daesh in Iraq are under-pinned by comprehensive plans to minimise and manage expected displacement, and provide humanitarian assistance and stabilisation support. The Foreign Secretary, my Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson), raised these issues with international partners at the counter-Daesh Coalition Ministerial meeting in Washington on 20-21 July.On 20 July, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), announced £10.5 million in additional UK funding for stabilisation in Iraq, we expect a significant proportion of our contribution to support efforts in and around Mosul. This announcement brings the UK’s Iraq contributions on immediate stabilisation to £9.25 million, and on explosive hazards to £7.75 million.Since summer 2014, the UK has pledged £129.5 million of humanitarian support. This includes £50 million of additional assistance announced on 20 July 2016.

Foreign Policy

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 14 July (HL1014), whether it is the policy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to refer to all ministers of foreign countries without using their title or forename, as with Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa; and if so, when that became their policy.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have amended the record so that it provides Zimbabwean Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa’s full title.

Department for Education

Gender Recognition

Baroness Barker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the recommendations of the December 2015 report of the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee Transgender Equality, when they plan to publish (1) a new, cross-departmental transgender equality action plan, and (2) a balance sheet of the previous transgender action plan along with a new strategy to tackle those issues which remain unaddressed.

Lord Nash: On the 7th July 2016 the Government responded to the Women and Equalities Select Committee inquiry on transgender equality. In this, we committed to publishing an update on progress against “Working for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality: Moving Forward (2011)”; and “Advancing transgender equality: a plan for action (2011)”. The Government also committed to producing a new action plan on transgender equality. The Government will publish both of these documents in due course.

Children's Centres

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they still intend to publish the consultation on the future of Sure Start, which they promised to initiate in July 2015, and if so when.

Lord Nash: This Government is committed to improving social mobility and extending opportunity so that everyone has the chance to realise their full potential. Our approach to improving life chances will focus on tackling the root causes of poverty such as worklessness, educational attainment and family stability and we will consider future policy on children’s centres as part of this. We will make it clear how stakeholders and members of the public can contribute in due course.‎‎

Secure Accommodation: Private Sector

Lord Ramsbotham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to encourage profit-making companies to run Secure Children's Homes.

Lord Nash: The Government has worked closely with the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, Local Government Association, the Youth Justice Board and the Secure Accommodation Network to consider how the operation of the secure children’s homes system could be better planned and co-ordinated to meet children’s needs. We are currently considering the commissioning arrangements for all children’s homes as part of our response to recommendations made in Sir Martin Narey’s independent review of residential care. We also await the outcome of Charlie Taylor’s review of the youth justice system in England and Wales. Work will continue through to the end of this year to identify the best long-term commissioning arrangements for secure children’s homes.

Ministry of Justice

Judges: Ethnic Groups

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 18 July (HL948 and HL949), how many judges in HM Courts and Tribunals service who are over 50 years of age are from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 18 July (HL948 and HL949), what assessment they have made of the factors contributing to the low number of black, Asian and ethnic minority candidates being recommended for judicial appointments; how those factors are being addressed; and whether they plan to support the development and introduction of pre-appointment training for those from under-represented groups seeking judicial appointments.

Lord Keen of Elie: The Government recognises that judges from a Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) background are under-represented in the judiciary in England and Wales when compared with the general population. We are committed to continue working with the judiciary and all others concerned to make sure that, while appointments will always be made on merit, the pool of candidates is as diverse as possible. On average over the last 5 years, 11 per cent of candidates recommended for judicial appointment were from BAME groups. Meanwhile, 10 per cent of appointed judges aged over 50 were from BAME backgrounds on 1 April 2015. The Government is committed to working with other members of the Judicial Diversity Forum, including the Judicial Appointments Commission, the judiciary and the legal professions, to explore ways of increasing the percentage of judges from under-represented groups, including individuals from a BAME background, whilst continuing to safeguard the fundamental principle of appointment on merit. The Forum is considering the feasibility of proposals around pre-application training. The Government fully supports such work and is strongly committed to the judicial diversity agenda.

The Lord Chairman of Committees

Peers: Email

Lord Laird: To ask the Chairman of Committees, further to his Written Answer on 14 July (HL958) concerning the Parliamentary Digital Service, how members of the House are informed of the Acceptable Use Policy regarding using the Parliamentary Network.

Lord Laming: All users of the Parliamentary Network are informed about the Acceptable User Policy every time they log on. Members are also asked to confirm that they have read and agree to the terms of the Acceptable Use Policy on hardware request forms.

Peers: Email

Lord Laird: To ask the Chairman of Committees, further to his Written Answer on 14 July (HL958) concerning the Parliamentary Digital Service, which Parliamentary officials or employees are authorised to manage the MessageLabs service contracted by the Parliamentary Digital Service.

Lord Laming: Authorised personnel from the Digital Service manage the MessageLabs service.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Home Shopping

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what regulations protect the contact details of vulnerable people being passed to other commercial agencies when purchasing a product online or having one purchased on their behalf.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The UK Government takes the protection of people’s personal data very seriously. The handling and sharing of personal data is primarily governed by the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA), which establishes a legal framework of rights and obligations that protect individuals’ personal information. The Information Commissioner’s Office, who is the independent regulatory body responsible for enforcing the DPA in the UK, has produced the guidance for the general public on such matters. This guidance can be found on its’ website at; www.ico.org.uk/for-the-public/is-my- information-being-handled-correctly/

Third Sector

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the implementation of the concept of the Big Society is still part of their programme, and if so, which initiatives remain and where departmental and ministerial responsibility now lies.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The Big Society programme remains a key manifesto commitment of the government and is a responsibility of all departments. The government’s vision is to have a more engaged nation where we take greater responsibility for ourselves and for our neighbours. Programmes such as the National Citizen Service are helping to build a more responsible and more engaged society along with programmes such as Community Organisers, which is bringing local people together to take action on issues they care about. These are two examples of the current initiatives that are taking place.

ICT: Education

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they have in place to ensure that the digital skills of UK citizens are viable in the global marketplace and can compete with those of Brazilians and Indians, in the light of the recent study commissioned by Barclays which rated the digital skills of Brazil and India as greater than those in the UK.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The recent Barclays’ study on digital skills ranked the UK favourably overall for digital skills (4th), ahead of both Brazil (9th) and India (7th). High-quality and relevant skills underpin productivity and growth and give people confidence to make the most of modern technology. Ensuring digital skills keep up to date with the pace of technological change is a challenge for all developed countries. We have therefore made significant improvements to education and training, including reforming the computing curriculum so all young people are taught coding in school. We will continue to take action to ensure the UK is developing the digital skills individuals and businesses need. Reforms to our technical education system will provide people with the necessary digital skills as set out in our Post-16 Skills Plan. We have also recently introduced new innovative digital degree apprenticeships to enable young people to get an honours degree, alongside on the job training.

Department for Work and Pensions

British Home Stores: Pensions

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Pensions Regulator about the length of time it will require to report on the BHS pension scheme; and whether they plan to communicate that information to fund managers.

Lord Freud: The right approach is to allow the Pensions Regulator to get on with its investigations into the use of its anti-avoidance powers. There is a clear legal process that must be followed and this can sometimes take a considerable amount of time. The Pensions Regulator’s Chief Executive has given a commitment that it will have made significant progress by the end of 2016. It has said that when it becomes appropriate to do so it will consider publishing a report of the case under Section 89 of the Pensions Act 2004. The Regulator is independent and Ministers cannot become involved in its decisions on whether or not to exercise its powers or seek to influence its investigations in any way.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the continuing impact of the alterations to the state pension age on women born in the 1950s, on or after 6 April 1951.

Lord Freud: The decision to equalise the State Pension age for men and women dates back to 1995 and addresses a longstanding inequality. Since April 2010, women’s State Pension age has been gradually increasing for those born after 6 April 1950. Following sharp increases in life expectancy projections, and therefore the increase in the number of people living longer in retirement, this timetable was accelerated by the Pensions Act 2011.The Government listened to concerns expressed by those affected by the Pension Act 2011 changes, and took action to limit the maximum change to State Pension age to 18 months, a concession worth over £1billion.All those affected by the faster equalisation timetable will reach State Pension age following the introduction of the new State Pension, which is more generous for many women who have historically done poorly under the current system.The average woman reaching State Pension age in the first forty years of the new State Pension is estimated to receive 10 per cent more State Pension over her lifetime than the average man.Women retiring today can still expect to receive the State Pension for 26 years on average – several years longer than men. And this generation of women will spend a higher proportion of their lives in retirement than any before.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the calls by Women Against State Pension Inequality for transitional state pension arrangements for women born in the 1950s, on or after 6 April 1951.

Lord Freud: Transitional arrangements are already in place. At the time of the Pensions Act 2011 the government introduced a concession worth £1.1 billion to limit the impact of the rising state pension age on those most affected. The concession capped the maximum delay that anyone would face in claiming their State Pension to 18 months rather than two years, relative to the previous timetable.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Housing

Lord Inglewood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether Brexit will increase, decrease, or have no material impact on, the need for more housing in England.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: It is too early to say. Whatever the impact, this government remains committed to increasing the supply of homes for the 86 percent of people who aspire to own their own home. The Spending Review doubled the housing budget and set out the most ambitious affordable housing programme since the 1970s, which will help us to achieve our ambition of delivering one million homes.